Udder

The external mammary organ of a female livestock animal, containing milk-producing glands and teats. It produces and stores milk for nursing offspring or human use.

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Mammary gland: An organ that produces milk through specialized secretory tissue and ducts. Each udder is formed from mammary glands that synthesize milk.
Lactation: The process by which mammary glands produce and secrete milk. Udder function during nursing or dairy production is part of lactation.
Dairy cattle: Cattle bred and managed primarily for milk production. Their udder anatomy and production are central to commercial dairying.
Mastitis: Inflammation of mammary tissue, commonly caused by infection during lactation. It is a common disease of the udder that disrupts milk production.
Alveolus (mammary gland): A small sac of milk-secreting cells within mammary tissue. Milk is synthesized in these microscopic units before entering larger ducts.
Prolactin: A hormone that promotes milk production in mammary glands. It helps stimulate milk synthesis in the udder after birth.
Milking machine: A device that removes milk from teats using cyclic vacuum and compression. Its liners and vacuum must extract milk without injuring udder tissue.
Clinical mastitis: Mastitis with visible signs in the milk or mammary gland, such as clots, swelling, or heat. Visible changes distinguish this form from infection detectable only through testing.
Mammary duct: A channel that carries milk from mammary secretory tissue toward a teat. Ducts connect the udder’s milk-producing regions to its outlets.
Oxytocin: A hormone that triggers contraction of smooth muscle cells around mammary alveoli. Its release causes milk to move from secretory tissue toward the teats.